Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray with baking spray an 8x8 inch pan. In a small bowl, add the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa, oats and salt, mix thoroughly with a fork. Press into bottom of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten and press firmly. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the egg and flour, beat until smooth. Pour about 2/3 of the batter into the 8x8 inch pan. Add the Nutella into the remaining batter and mix throughly. Spread on top of the first cheesecake layer. Bake 25 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.

My thoughts:

I don't tend to join in on most of the group food blogging events that seem so popular right now but I love Nutella and just couldn't resist. While the American version of Nutella is widely available, I like to go to our local Italian market and pick up a jar of imported Italian Nutella. The two are fairly similar in flavor but the Italian version doesn't have hydrogenated oil and (perhaps because of this) is a little thicker. It also seems to be a bit more chocolate-y. Anyway, I am sure whatever local version of Nutella you have available would work fine in this recipe.

I had originally came up with the recipe a couple of months ago only to find that I was totally out of Nutella and that I hadn't yet replaced the 8x8 inch pan I had dropped. The horror! Then I got distracted by other cooking and a never ending cold and forgot all about it until I saw someone mention WND on twitter. So I dragged out the recipe and made it this weekend. It was as tasty as I had hoped. The cheesecake is rich and creamy and has a great chocolate-hazelnut flavor. The bottom crust is very chocolate-y and the oats add body and crunch. The crust is also a great alternative to the more traditional graham cracker or shortbread crust which can be kind of bland or boring. In this case, the crust brings out the flavor of the bars without overpowering it.

Stupid question....how can you tell which is the American version and the imported one? I just buy Nutella...but never looked hard enough to know if it's different. I love these cheesecake squares!! Grew up on Nutella on waffles and Nutella sandwiches...will have to bake some of these up!

Aggie, Well, the Italian Nutella says "product of Italy" and the label is in Italian. I also bought it at a store that sells imported Italian products. If you are just buying it at a typical American grocery store, you are probably just buying the American version.

I made this yesterday and it's delicious - my first cheesecake! However, I think I needed to add a bit more nutella, so I spread a thin layer on top of the finished cake, which surprisingly works well. Thanks for the yummy recipe!

You are totally right about the different types of Nutella -- in fact, the Nutella we get here (in Holland) is apparently the French Nutella, which is a wee bit less sweet than the Italian one. I am definitely trying these cheesecake squares!

I just made these and they are awesome! I just ate the piece I took the photo of...mmmm! I posted a link to the recipe in my blog (which I think I am the only one who reads, haha) and fully credited you :) Thanks for the great recipe!

I just made this for valentines day as my guy LOVES nutella, It smells gorgeous, but I can't have any until tomorrow.I am sure it will be a hit...and such and easy recipe. Thank you!!!!Liz from Australia.

My friends at work just recently discovered that I can bake, and we all share a love of Nutella :) We've been stalking your recipes for about an hour now. Probably a silly question on my part - what kind of cocoa do you use? Unsweetened or sweetened?

Fantastic recipe! I love Nutella (and everything Italian!) and am bringing this dessert to a luncheon today - I just cut them up and tasted one! DELISH! Thanks! easy and delicious - definitely a crowd pleaser!

Just made a batch of these for an office party tomorrow! Then I ever so helpfully pre-sliced them for the benefit of my coworkers (and so that my boyfriend could pinch one out of the batch to test)! Phenomenal!

I can't wait to try your recipe!! Cheesecake is my favorite dessert and Nutella was first introduced to me when I studied abroad in Germany. I've been obsessed with it ever since! Came back to the states and finally found Nutella. I'll have to try this for Valentine's day and get back to you! Monique in Florida :)

I like it. I think Americans are pretty creative with Nutella. In Europe we use it only for crepes. I never tried to find Baltimore's food blogs before, but since I live in Baltimore and I am a food blogger too I should give it a try. Hope I will find the way to follow you.

Why do so many people comment on something they haven't tried making? Of course it sounds yummy! Its a frickin cheesecake recipe with Nutella for crying out loud. Make the recipe and then review it. I was completely lost on whether to let the crust cool before adding the topping or not. Please write the recipe for someone who never made this sort of thing before. And if you are one of those people who just has to comment on everything you come across on the internet, please STFU until you can add something useful.